Hello from Cumbria

Stuart D

Active Member
Having heard a good deal about Western Thunder, and all of it very positive, I thought it was time to 'sign up'.
My interests have mostly been in 7mm scale (standard and narrow gauge) but for most of my life never had the space or settled long enough in one place to build a layout. For about fifteen years I had 16mm scale narrow gauge, live steam, garden railways (in three different gardens) and enjoyed that enormously. But the constraints of outdoor railways made me hanker after an indoor layout and I began planning for a layout that I would build when I retired.
Now, in that position and having undertaken a major alteration to an outbuilding I found myself with an attic room above garaging measuring 30ft by 19ft. After many versions, a final plan was adopted and the layout started three years ago. Many years ago I was describing my "pipe-dream retirement layout" to other modellers, and after a short pause one of them responded with "Hmm, sounds like a club layout to me". I am now realising what he meant, as there is always a very long list of things to be done and sometimes it seems like I will never get any aspect of the layout "finished". But having spent twenty years planning this ( latterly with the use of Templot), acquiring appropriate stock, and now having the space, it would have seemed foolish not to give it a go.
I won't bore you with all the background to my chosen plan, suffice to say it's based in the north of England - a secondary standard gauge route (LMS) with an adjoining narrow gauge line principally serving quarries; and set in the late 1930s.
That's probably more than enough for starters!
 

3 LINK

Western Thunderer
Hi Stuart,

Welcome to Western Thunder, your layout would appeal to many of us on here, myself included.

So photos please we like plenty of photos, is the order of the day :thumbs:.

Cheers,

Martyn.
 

Roger Pound

Western Thunderer
Hello Stuart,

Welcome aboard! My gentle persuasion must have worked! I look forward to seeing your layout on the appropriate section in the near future.

Regards,
Roger.
 

Stuart D

Active Member
Martyn, Roger,

Given my photographic skills this may take a while..... The lighting (low level of) in my railway room requires settings that ideally warrant a proper tripod, which I don't have. So it tends to take a long time to find ways of supporting the camera in positions that might produce interesting or informative pictures (step ladders, boxes, combinations thereof....)
Needless to say, there are usually other things calling upon that time, so photographs tend to slip down the to-do list; but I shall try to remedy that.
 

Lancastrian

Western Thunderer
Hello and welcome Stuart.

A screen shot of your Templot file would be a good start to show us your plan. Photos can always come later :)

Ian
 

Stuart D

Active Member
Hello and welcome Stuart.

A screen shot of your Templot file would be a good start to show us your plan. Photos can always come later :)

Ian

Apologies for not responding sooner, Ian.

Yes, I had thought about putting up a plan as a starting-point - partly because I find it a bit frustrating when you see lots of lovely photos of a layout but no plan to "tie" them together, and felt it would be a bit hypocritical of me to make the same mistake. I'm always amazed that even some magazines still publish layout articles without a track plan. I do have a sketchboard plan of the layout, but it might need a bit of updating. I'll get around to it!
 

Stuart D

Active Member
Finally sorted out the sketchboard plan of my layout. I thought it would be more sensible to start a new thread in the "Layout Progress" section; so that's where it will be shortly, under the heading "Sedbergh Town".
 
And a warm welcome from Donald looking forward to see progressing with your layout as yet i do not have the space however i am a member of Ayr model railway club and have the joy of normaly running my stock there which i am missing as well as fellow club members and friends.

Regards
Donald
 
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